The M10 has been a great success for Leica, I think we are all agreed on that. In my opinion, it is the finest Leica digital in terms of performance and form. It almost achieves Stefan Daniel’s stated desire for an M3-size digital M. True, it is a tad taller than that earliest M, but it does contrive to be exactly the same size as the Leica M7. In reality, what more could an M fan expect?
Leica M10-P
Now that the M10 is firmly established, where does the current line go from here? Traditionally there has always been a -P model 18 months to two years after the launch of the mothership. Traditionally the main updates for the -P are the engraved top plate and a tougher screen.
It is very likely will see an M10-P later this year or early in 2019. It will certainly feature the Leica engraving. Whether it will be possible to adopt the thicker sapphire glass screen in view of the M10’s smaller overall depth is another thing. From my point of view, I don’t think it makes a lot of difference. It’s the engraving and the more traditional appearance that sells the -P models.
The -P is very much a marketing exercise, trading on the likelihood that existing M10 users will want the top engraving and will be prepared to pay the extra — or, even, trade up from the original. Cynics may suggest that it would have been easy enough to put the engraving on the M10 at launch and have done with it. But they would be missing the point. Why spoil the opportunity to benefit from the desire from a Leica engraving?
Leica M10-D
Then we have yet another variant that I do think is imminent. The M-D version of the M240 was a brave departure for Leica. What other company would have the guts to produce a digital camera with no screen and a set of controls restricted to aperture, speed and ISO? None, as it turns out.
The MD was a surprising success for Leica, despite the naysayers who decried it as an affectation. It sold well. But it suffered from the bulk of the then-current M240 on which it is based. It wasn’t the M3 or M4 digital feel-alike that everyone wants.
The M10, on the other hand, is the ideal candidate for MD-isation. An M10 version of the M10 will be identical in feel and dimensions to the M7. It will operate in exactly the same way as the M7 film camera. I am therefore sold on the idea that an MD version of the M10 will be a success. It could even persuade some diehards to move from film to digital, but let’s not hold our breath.
Leica Monochrom
Since 2012 there has also been a tradition of announcing a monochrome version rather late in the life of the base model. In the case of the original M9-based Monochrom and the latest M246, based on the M240, it serves to extend the life of the older model even after the introduction of the new model, in this case, the M10.
The M9-based Monochrom, the MK I, arrived in September 2012, exactly four years after the launch of the M9 on which it was based. However, since then things have speeded up.
The current M246, based on the M240 which was launched in 2012, came in mid-2015. If this schedule is maintained, we cannot expect a new Monochrom until late 2019 at the earliest. It could come earlier, of course. So no need to sell your M246 just yet. I have heard no rumours this time around and the Monochrom Mk.II still has some life left.
Leica Q2
What else can we look forward to on the L-camera front? There have been consistent rumours of a Q2 and they are believable. I’m not sure what they could do to improve the Q. Most owners are convinced it is the perfect camera and who am I to disagree? I really love that camera. Perhaps in some way, the resolution of the sensor could be improved in order to facilitate cropping and help ameliorate the worry of having a single 28mm lens. Who knows? Whatever they do, Leica is very much on a winner with this one and I am sure that a Q2 will be in great demand when it does arrive.
Leica SL2
Everything who has used the SL tends to rave about it. It is undoubtedly a great camera and I just love that “standard” Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm zoom. It’s winner, one of the best zooms I have ever used, and it has the ideal focal length range. Unfortunately, for many, including me, the SL rig is just a bit too heavy and conspicuous.
When can we expect a new SL? In a recent interview, available on YouTube (above), Leica’s Dr Andreas Kaufmann admitted that the SL had been designed to be a “bit on the brutal side” but he assures us it will become a “little more elegant in the future”. I take this as confirmation that there is a new SL in the offing. I had expected it early next year, but I note that Leica UK’s MD, Jason Heward (speaking at the recent Leica Society AGM), was quite specific that there is no new SL to come in the immediate future.
There is no doubt the SL is built to the highest standards, but equally no doubt that it is bigger and heavier than, say, an equivalent Sony outfit. And with Nikon entering the full-frame mirrorless fray, probably at Photokina this year, the market is wide open. I fully expect the new Nikon to be no larger than the Sony A7 and it should present a formidable challenge for existing players in the full-frame mirrorless sector. Maybe there is room for a Kaufmann Kuddle SL.
Quite apart from the possibility of softening the “brutal” profile, Leica may well find irresistible pressure to increase the number of megapixels, perhaps to 36 million to help meet the competition. I suppose Leica will eventually have to give in and move up from the curretn 24MP limit.
CL/TL system
Leica’s presence in the APS-C system world has been bolstered this year with the arrival of the CL. With its built-in viewfinder and more traditional controls, the CL aims to satisfy potential buyers who were not enthusiastic about the touch-control TL2 and its lack of a built-in EVF. The CL is off to a good start and is at the beginning of its product cycle, so don’t expect any surprises soon.
As I outlined in my recent article on the system, there is a need for a more professional, weatherproofed and (ideally) stabilised “Mini SL” in order to broaden the appeal of the range. Many potential SL buyers who are put off by the size and weight would take eagerly to an APS-C version of the full-frame camera.
Eventually, too, a new lens range featuring weather protection and stabilisation will be needed. I believe we could well see such a mini SL within the next 18 months, but I base this more on wishful thinking rather than any concrete information.
Leica Compacts
That leaves the two compacts, the D-Lux and the V-Lux. Both are well overdue for an update. Panasonic has a suitable V-Lux candidate in production — the FX2000/2500 — but as yet there is little evidence of a new LX100 on which they D-Lux is based.
Its replacement has been forecast as many times as the Second Coming; I even remember a suggestion that it would launch at Photokina in 2016. Now the pundits are expecting to see it at this year’s Photokina in September. The possible improvements have been well discussed — including a 20MP sensor, increased AF speed, a larger OLED viewfinder, a tilting screen, built-in ND filter and a top ISO of 50,000. There is even talk of a built-in flash.
Both the D-Lux and V-Lux have been successful cameras for Leica. I admire the form factor and “das Wesentliche” approach of the D-Lux, so I am hoping the rumours are right.
It looks like there are interesting times ahead for the Leica camera line over the next few months. At least we will have lots to write about.
______________
- Subscribe to Macfilos for free updates on articles as they are published
- Want to comment on this article but having problems?
Well, I’ve had several Fuji cameras going all the way back to the 1970’s and despite everyone saying how good Fuji lenses are, every time I was disappointed with the rendering of the Fuji lenses compared to Leica ones. No sense of depth and more of a flat look to the images. The vastly cheaper Fuji system somehow doesn’t give me the image quality I want. It’s not the sharpness or the color but something to do with the sense of depth in the image , micro-contrast, bokeh, the quality at widest aperture. I can see the difference.
That’s why I am a Leica money cow. Moooooo!
Dear Steg,
Mooo…. I take comfort from your comment since I don’t own a Fuji but am constantly being told images from Fuji cameras are superior to those from Leica — and much cheaper to produce. You have successfully dampened my lust for a Fuji. Seriously, though, the important thing is that we have choice and it’s natural that we are all rather partial to the gear that we like. I try to sit in the sidelines and love all the different views we have on Macfilos.
Why be a Leica money cow? My suggestion is why not buy a Fuji X-Pro 2 instead of a M10P or whatever Leica choose to call the next one, not least as you will lose far less money changing yet again when the M10P2 or whateve replaces what you have just bought, but perehaps even more so dare I say because the vastly cheapere Fuji system is already better. That said I might still keep my MP240.
There is also Sony coming in from the left flank with the new A7III which offers stabilisation on a full-frame mirrorless camera for the first time. Anyone wanting a home for their Leica glass and the advantages of in-body stabilisation might be tempted in this direct….
A great article – Leica should hire you as their stragic planner and product manager. You should have mentioned the joy stick issues in case they are looking over your shoulder to steal ideas. I have no problem with the special editions as they cost nothing to develop and the rich can help subsidize a small company for the rest of us. I have moved from Leica to Panasonic G9 as it was the right system decision at the time. A comprehensive mini SL system would have been great for me but it would be too little too late for me at this point in my journey. I am keen to add a Q2 – my credit card is armed and ready! One thing I particularly love about the Panasonic G9 is that the rear LCD can be hidden and protected and I rarely check images!
I love the Mr. Patriot image and probably prefer this cropped version! Thanks for the well thought out article.
I too have the G9 and I’ve been loving it! It is surprisingly good. Lately paired with the 15mm but most often with the 12-60mm – both Leica branded I’ll add. I decided to forego APS and only have M43s and the SL. The SL + 24-90mm is truly a beast, but it’s IQ cannot be beat, and when I need truly glorious landscape imagery I’ll carry it with me. But when just out and about it’s the G9. Contemplating a GX9 too (for that 15mm), but I have not clicked Complete Order yet.
The Q is wonderful, but I’ve not used it for a while; it’s hard to imagine how they could improve it (use the SL EVF?). I really really wish they’d expand the line to add a 50mm Q. I would get in line for that the second it was announced!
Hmmm Mr Patriot won’t be happy. It’s the picture from the naked bike ride, celebrating the natural freedom which has been censored ! 🙂 it’s a great event in my opinion. I visited marble arch a few years ago with my then Sony rx100. Anyway, I look forward to the screen less version of M10 hoping that it is actually cheaper than M10. That is not going to happen,is it.
I loved the SL but as you say – too big. I hated the Q and sold that. My eyesight and the lack of AF renders the M no good for me any more.
What I would really like is a smaller body SL II with the sensor from the CL, so that the lenses for the T and CL can be used at native resolution to be honest – that would be a killer camera.
Marcus, the weight and size of the SL+24-90 is the only negative factor in what otherwise is a wonderful outfit. I can still manage the M (except at very fast apertures). Like you, I live in hope of a "mini SL" with APS-C sensor. I cannot believe that Leica is now working on something like this at the moment. In the meantime, I have just received a Sony A7 Mk.III for review and this is likely to add yet another layer to the discussion. It is a mini SL but one with a full-frame sensor AND in-body stabilisation, something not even the SL can offer. I will see what I think and report back to our readers in due course.
I have plenty of uncensored images from that event, but I didn’t want to frighten the horses in a rumour piece on Leica cameras…..
Or of frightening your readers from reading. I have a Flickr contact who attends these events, and I have to say I tend to avoid his images post event. I am not a prude, but its just not my thing, and possibly not something I would rush to photograph.
You may well be talking about what I would actually jump at to buy.. the mini SL with APS-C sensor.
I have tried the A7R111 twice now in fairly restricted circumstances. it produces cracking images, and by that I mean amazing. But the experience was like taking images in a sterile environment, in that I felt disconnected from the images owing to the speed with which it rips through images on autopilot. I will try again as the opportunity arises, and see if my view changes, but it defo went off my list from my initial thoughts.
Dave
Expect the unexpected. Please no more celebrity special editions!
Hi Mike, Nicely put and well thought out suggestions for the Leica future, as you know I am quitely wringing the life out of my X, while saving in the background for what I will use next.
I had interpreted the Dr Kaufman interview as being the possible existence of a APSC/SL variation that would be announced in June – but then I may have misinterpreted what he was saying, not saying or possibly I was reading it all backside first. This is not uncommon in the Seargeant household for me to do so.
Also a big thank you for the crop of Mr Patriot. Thank the god of post photo processing for saving us from that one.
Dave
Yes, not a pretty sight.